The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-08-30
A DOMESTIC PROBLEM.

"a woman's education is q mistake from
beginning to end" said Roxy Stephens, in
sudden Outburst of despair "Yes, it is. Here
have been going to school all my life, and
don't know any thing There never could hove
been" Roxy deliberately added, seven in the
dark ages, such an ignoramus as am. don't
even know how to feed the chickens properly"
as q downy colony of little 'Dominiques"
scattered this way and that before the mass
of scalded meal which Roxy had flung too
abruptly in their midst, while the mother hen.
j sounding trumpet note of shrill alarm, scut-
tiled back against a picket fence, with flap
ping wings and feathers all a bristle.
! The door yard, starred with yellow dande-
lion blooms and tufted with rosettes of plantain
leaves, was stepped in the soft noon heats; a
chevaux de frise of pink and puce colored
hollyhocks guarded the garden wall, and a
faint scent of ripening raspberries aoated on
the air Down by the maple swamp cow
bells tinkled softly, and some wild birds
whistled the same refrain over and over
again with melodious persistency from the
hazel copse across the road And Roxy
Stephens, sitting dolorously on the door stone,
with her chin supported in both hands, neither
saw nor heard these sweet interpretations Of
nature.
Up to a certain degree thao was truth in
her lanentation. Roxy had been IL years old
when she came to live with her aunt Sally
: Stephens on the Redbrook farm She was a
ebright haired, fresh complexioned girl, with
shady blue eyes, emphasized by perfectly
arched brows, thought heavier than falls to
the usual lot Of womankind. They had
80, hox.
black leech like curves; but, had she only
known it. the dark, strongly penciled brows
were what gave character to her whole face
and redeemed it from the insipidity of mere
pink and white prettiness. In q certain
fashion her mind corresponded to her eye
brows. There was q quaint vein OF origi-
nality pervadingit Her nature was strongly
| outlined, too, and in the fullness of her youth
and vitality she had once believed that she
was born to conquer fate.
Roxanna Stephens was q city bred girl the
daughter of Miss Sally's oldest brother, who
had died unexpectedly, leaving q motherless
girl totally unprovided for. Thus do people
give mortgages to fate, and dying, lesve
| others to foreclose on them. There is IN
| doubtedly certain degree Of injustice in it;
but who shall venture to carp against the
lords willa Miss Sally herself, q complain
ing little woman, with q face full Of fine
wrinkles, like China Grape, and blue eyes
hidden behind misty spectacles, accepted the
trust, as she had accepted all other inconveni-
ences of her life, Imply and without protest
She had never had any strong emotions one
way or the other. II she had any active
pleasure, it was in gathering the humble herbs
| and simples of her native fields and drying
| them in preparation for the aches and pains
| that beset her poor humanity. ats always
well to be prepared" said she II don't hold
with the homnpathies, nor yet / hain't no
| faith in calomel and mercury. There amt
nothin' like roots and herbs, and every neigh
| Dor within ten miles around comes to me for
/ 'em when they've sickness in the house"
And to this little old brown woman in a
! little old brown farm house came Roxanna,
| the young princess who had set forth to
| conquer the world.
T'm desput glad you've come, Roxanner,"
laid Miss Stephens, shifting at bunch of
lwilted pennyroyal IL amt able to keep on
dom as hev been DOM Somehow, it's borne
. In upon me that Providence has sent you. I've
worked powerful hard all my life, and now
I'll just rest spell, and let you keep house for
me- hain't no doubt at all but what well
get along together first rate, you snd me-"
Roxy looked with solemn eyes at her aunt.
! Evidently the old lady had faith as grain Of
| mustard seed, and there was something con-
tagious in her example.
at must be very easy to Keep house, !" said
| Roxy, fresh from the class room and recita-
ton hall So the household helm was de-
hvered into her hands, and then-not till
| then-she realized the fact Of her exceeding
| ignorance.
Not for worlds, however, would she have
confessed her inability to rule the domestic
MENACE. Aunt Sally had a profound con-
tempt for "book larnin'," and did not hesitate
V assert roundly that Sef brother Simon had
sok her advice he would hev brung up Rox-
amer in quite q different way" and the girl
had certain silent pride in indicating her
fathers judgment So, by the help Of
dogs cared cookery book which she found In
| the garnet, she learned some of the simpler
secrets of the cuisine, and her own neat ma
ture taught her the mysteries of sweeping and
scrubbing; while old Kinda, jet black
negress, with grizzled wool and soft appeal
ing voice like flute, who pervaded the neigh
borhood, came twice in the month TO wash
and iron for the little household
"Jes what ole Hinda's good for, said she;
''dat, an muffin else. Missy can do mos any
ing; but dar amt no sense in Missy stan'in at
de wash tub. Leave dat ar to ole linda"
And Roxy's spirits rose with her good luck
IAsTm getting to be q housekeeper," said she,
cHeerily to herself. Those fried fish this
morning tasted quite good, and the wild
plums that preserved yesterday are certainly
going to be a success"
But if it is always darkest just before day
light, it is also sometimes brightest before an
unexpected thunder cloud. And one day old
Kinda bethought herself to feel i'll of Mon